Electrolytic method for the production of lithium using a lithium-amalgam electrode

Patent · Tue May 29 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5951257

Cooper, J F; Krikorian, O H; Homsy, R V

A method is described for recovering lithium from its molten amalgam by electrolysis in an electrolytic cell containing as a molten electrolyte a fused-salt consisting of a mixture of two or more alkali metal halides, preferably selected from lithium iodide, lithium chloride, potassium iodide and potassium chloride. A particularly suitable molten electrolyte is a fused-salt consisting of a mixture of at least three components obtained by modifying an eutectic mixture of LiI-KI by the addition of a minor amount of one or more alkali metal halides. The lithium-amalgam fused-salt cell may be used in an electrolytic system for recovering lithium from an aqueous solution of a lithium compound, wherein electrolysis of the aqueous solution in an aqueous cell in the presence of a mercury cathode produces a lithium amalgam. The method is particularly useful for the regeneration of lithium from the aqueous reaction products of a lithium-water-air battery.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4156635
• OSTI ID: 5951257
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250903 -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METALS
CATHODES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTROLYTIC CELLS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
IODIDES
IODINE COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM
LITHIUM CHLORIDES
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM HALIDES
LITHIUM IODIDES
LITHIUM-WATER-AIR BATTERIES
MERCURY
METAL-GAS BATTERIES
METALS
PHOSPHORS
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM IODIDES
REGENERATION